Alan L. Keyes
Current Offices Contending For: Republican U.S. President
Political Biography:
Rumor had it that Alan Keyes was out of the presidential race. However, as of February 15, 2008 he has been noted as back in.
This man is determined-probably the most determined of all the persons running. This is his third time running for presidential office. He also ran in 1996 and in 2000. He also ran as a candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2004.
Alan L. Keyes has had other political experience as well. For instance, he was the key speaker at the Republican National Convention in 1992, and he was the Assistant Secretary, State for International Organization Affairs, 1985-1988.
Keyes was also the Ambassador for U.N. Economic and Social Council. Furthermore, he was involved in various organizations. For instance, he belongs to the Ronald Reagan Alumni Association, of which he is the president.
He is also the founder and chair of the Declaration Foundation, 1996 to present. He also belonged to the Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) as this organization’s president from 1989 to 1992. In addition, he founded the National Taxpayer Action Day in 1990.
Alan Keys has also had a variety of different professional experiences related to the political arena. For instance, he was the host of a talk show called Radio Talk Show Host, 'The Alan Keyes Show: America's Wake Up Call’ from 1994 to 1999.
He was also a syndicated columnist for Syndicated Columnist for Scripps Howard from 1991 to 1992. Moreover, he was Interim President of Alabama A & M University in 1991, and he also had served as a public speaker and radio and television commentator.
Alan Keye’s View on Select Issues:
Alan Keyes had taken the 2000 National Political Awareness Test. As of this date he believes the following:
Keyes believes that abortion should always be illegal. He also believes that whenever possible an unborn fetus should be saved, with or without life support.
Keyes is against partial birth abortion as well. Additionally, he wants to see waiting periods put on those who want abortions and he encourages the prohibition of funds to abortion clinics.
He wants to see decreased funding in areas such as education, arts, and environmental programs. He wants to see increased funding in national defense. He wants to see slight increase in funding for NASA and other science projects, scientific research, and national parks.
Keyes also supports school choice. He believes parents should be allowed vouchers to send their children any where.
He is very pro-military and would like to see an increase in number of space shuttle missions, military hardware, and modern weapons. He also wants to see an increase in funding for covert intelligence operations.
Alan Keyes also advocates ease of restrictions on gun control. He also believes citizens should be able to carry concealed weapons. He also wants to hold gun owners responsible for gun crimes committed by their children 16 and under.
As far as crime is concerned he is for rehab for certain criminals. He also supports stricter penalties when necessary, and penalties without parole in certain instances. He also supports drug and alcohol rehab programs.
Additionally, he supports relaxed standards on environmental issues. In addition, he believes that health care is not a responsibility of the federal government. He does, however, believe in equal provisions for deductibility for both small businesses and major companies.
Related to immigration, he advocates English as the official language. However, he supports an increase in immigration related to computer science and technology. He also supports naturalization and border patrol.
Moreover, he supports international aid to countries in trouble. He also supports helping close allies. More specifically, as of the year 2000 he supported maintained funding to Egypt, Colombia, Turkey, and Israel.
He wanted to eliminate funding to other countries such as Mexico, North Korea, Russia, and others. He also wanted to eliminate funding to organizations such as the African Development Fund.
Furthermore, he is for persons investing a portion of social security payments into private stocks and bonds instead of government treasuries. Along with that he was against Congress spending Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid surpluses.
Furthermore, Alan Keyes wants to push for a higher moral standard in America. He supports government intervention in the areas of television content. He also supports government regulation of internet content.
As far as poverty is concerned, he wanted aid to be redirected to faith-based organizations. He also wants funding for these types of projects to be redirected to various non-profit groups.
Voting Records:
Further information regarding his voting records may be available at a later time. You can contact groups such as Vote Smart.com to see where you can find this information.
However, he has made numerous public statements regarding marriage, homosexuality, and the family. He believes marriage is meant for one man and one woman only. He also does not support any “health-based” education that suggests that homosexuality not a choice, that it is not a moral decision.
He is for religious freedom and he believes it is wrong for persons to equate homosexuality with race. He does not view it as the same thing.
That does not mean that Alan Keyes does not support civil rights. Actually, he does support true equality, meaning that all persons are created equal. He is against affirmative action, as he believes it does not promote equality.
Personal Biographical Information
Mike Huckabee has a wife named Janet. He also has three children named John Mark, David, and Sarah. He attended a seminary from 1976 to 1977.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Alan L. Keyes (Republican)
John McCain III (Republican)
John McCain III
Current Offices Contending For: Republican U.S. President,
Political Biography:
John Mc Cain currently serves in the U.S. Senate, Senior Seat. He has held that position since 1987, and he ran also ran for president in the year 2000.
Furthermore, John Mc Cain was a National Security Advisor for the Dole/Kemp Campaign in 1996. Moreover, he serve in the House of Representatives from 1982-1986.
John McCain is currently a member of numerous organizations. One of those is the American Dream Political Action committee which he has been a part of since 1997.
He also has been an honorary member of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts since 1997, and he is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Affairs and Vietnam Veterans Association.
He also serves on various caucus committees such as the Environmental Energy Study Conference, National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the Senate Wilderness and Public Lands Caucus.
Jon Mc Cain had also received many awards over the years such as the following:
"Taxpayers' Best Friend" Award, National Taxpayers Union; Award of the Coalition for Peace through Strength; Guardian of Freedom Award, and the Young Americans for Freedom.
Ron Paul’s View on Select Issues:
John McCain as of 2004 has supported the prohibition of partial birth abortion. He does support abortion in certain cases, such as in incest, rape, and endangerment (mother during birth). He also supports the prohibition of public abortion funding.
He believes in either increasing or maintaining current level of spending in areas such as agriculture, arts, homeland security, and medical research. He believes that marriage should only be for a man and a woman and that same-sex couples should be allowed to form a civil union.
John McCain also supports the use of death penalty for serious crimes. According the Political Courage Report taken in 2004, he also does not support the elimination of death penalty for federal crimes.
He is for the increase of job-related programs to help unemployed persons find jobs. He does not support the elimination of federal programs to help support these people. He also is for diversification of the sale of company stock and other employee investments.
John McCain says he supports the enforcement of the Clean Water and Clean Air Act. He is against the relaxation of logging restrictions on federal lands. He also supports the use of alternative fuels such as ethanol and he supports the trading of energy pollution credits.
He also believes in the right for citizens to bear arms and is satisfied for the most part with the government control of them. He also supports various health legislation, such as Patient’s Bill of Rights, tax-free medical savings accounts, and Medicare prescription drug coverage. He also at this time (2004) supported stem cell research.
In addition to the above, John McCain supports low-income housing assistance, increase funding for child care, and does not believe in the abolition of all federal welfare programs.
Voting Record Overview:
Abortion
In 2003 Jon Mc Cain voted for against the Prohibit Partial-Birth Abortion Bill. Furthermore, he also supported just last year (20007) the Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions Bill. He voted neither yes nor no on the Roe vs. Wade Amendment in 1999.
Civil Rights
Jon Mc Cain Voted against the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007. If this law had been passed, D.C. would have been granted a voting representative, and D.C. would have been made in to a voting district.
Jon Mc Cain voted no on the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. This bill would have increased governmental intelligence on a global level.
He did vote yes on FISA Amendments Act of 2007, a bill passed in the Senate in 2007 to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. He also voted no to the English as the Common Language bill in 2007.
He voted yes to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment of 1998, and yes to the Unemployment Benefits Amendment in 2004. He voted no to Habeus Corpus for Detainees of the United States.
Family
McCain voted yes to the child custody protection act. He voted no to the amendment which would have provided education regarding teen pregnancy, and to help prevent it. He also voted no to the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have stressed the point that marriage is between one man and one woman.
Taxes and Budget
Jon Mc Cain voted yes to the Economic Stimulus Package Bill. He made it clear in a statement that illegal immigrants would not benefit from this bill at all. He also did stress that long-term economic reform needed to be made as well. (view source).
Awards Won:
He has achieved large amounts of recognition over the years. Among the awards won include the following: The 1996 Taxpayer’s Hero Award. He has also won the Silver and Bronze Stars, and the Legion of Merit, among others.
Background Information about John McCain:
His wife’s name is Cindy Lou Hensley his seven children are called Doug, Sidney, Andy, Meghan, Jack, Jimmy, and Bridget. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona and was born in Panama.
His father’s name is John McCain, Jr. and his mother’s name is Roberta. His favorite movie stars are Marylyn Monroe and Marlin Brando. His favorite musicians are Chuck Berry and Roy Orbison.
Mike Huckabee (Republican)
Mike Huckabee
Current Offices Contending For: Democratic U.S. President,
Political Biography:
Mike Huckabee served as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He also served as Lieutenant Governor from 1993 to 1996.
Huckabee is a member of organizations such as the Board of Trustees of Ouachita Baptist University, Friendship Center, and Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce. He also served as the Chair for the Easter Seals Telethon in 1993 and 1994, and he is a member of United Way.
He has in his lifetime also been involved with several caucus groups. Some of the ones he was or is involved with include the following: Southern Governors' Association, 1999-2000 (chairperson), Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (Chairperson), Southern International Trade Council, and Southern Technology Council.
Huckabee’s View on Select Issues:
He has taken the 2002 National Political Awareness Test provided by Vote Smart.com. According to that test, he has provided his answers to questions related to various political issues.
Regarding abortion, he has mentioned that he only approves of it when the mother’s life is in danger. He is for the elimination of public funding to organizations that provide abortions.
Mike Huckabee advocates the increase of educational funding. He would like to see more spending on both K-12 and higher education. He also wants to see an increase on funding for the nation’s health care.
He also supports state funding for hiring additional teachers. He does not, however, support educational affirmative action or affirmative action on any level.
Huckabee also supports a great decrease on capital gains taxes. Otherwise, he is satisfied with the amount of alcohol, cigarette, gas, and other excise taxes paid out.
Mike Huckabee has responded about his view on crime as well, for which he advocates change. For instance, he is against race profiling by police officers and he also would like to see alternative penalties for those who commit non-violent crimes. He also supports the .08 blood alcohol limit as that for classified a drunk driver.
As far as employment is concern, Mike Huckabee supports job training programs. He also supports other aspects of reform such as providing low-interest loans for businesses that are starting, expanding or relocating. He does not make mention of including sexual orientation in state laws.
Huckabee supports the use of alternative energies. He also supports state funding to clean up abandoned commercial and industrial sites. Huckabee also believes in the right to bear arms. He believes those arms can be carried if concealed.
Huckabee is for health care reform in many ways. He believes that people should have the right to basic health by way of managed care. In addition, he supports efforts to eradicate poverty. He wants to see poor families be able to help them selves by way of job training.
Voting Records:
Further information regarding his voting records may be available at a later time. You can contact groups such as Vote Smart.com to see where you can find this information.
Personal Biographical Information
Mike Huckabee has a wife named Janet. He also has three children named John Mark, David, and Sarah. He attended a seminary from 1976 to 1977.
Ron Paul (Republican)
Current Offices Contending For: U.S. President, U.S. House
Political Biography:
Ron Paul currently serves in the U.S. House, District 14, and has held that position since 1996. He ran for president as a Libertarian candidate in 1988.
Ron Paul currently serves in the U.S. House, District 14, and has held that position since 1996. Before that, he served in House District 22 for various terms in the 1970s and 1980s.
Ron Paul ran for president as a Libertarian candidate in 1988. Four years earlier, he ran as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. Additionally, he had held a position as the Chairman of The Liberty Caucus of Fellow Congressmen.
Ron Paul had also received many awards over the years such as the following:
"Taxpayers' Best Friend" Award, National Taxpayers Union; Award of the Coalition for Peace Through Strength; Guardian of Freedom Award, and the Young Americans for Freedom.
Ron Paul’s View on Select Issues:
He has mentioned in one of his statements that “Working Americans like lower taxes.” He believes that lower taxes would actually help create more jobs.
Ron Paul has also made profound statements against the war in Iraq. He stated that this war has cost too many American lives. (view source)
Furthermore, he is against organizations such as NAFTA, WTO, and CAFTA. He warns Americans that alternative treatments could be banned.
He is for herbs and supplements, and he believes that Americans should be able to choose how they eat and how they take care of their health. (view source) Additionally, Ron Paul has expressed that he has never in his 40 years in medicine seen the need for a woman to have an abortion. (view source)
In Ron Paul’s Statement entitled “War on Religion” He has expressed his concern about the lack of sentiment in America. This was particularly noted of the Christmas holiday. (view source)
Ron Paul takes on the founding father’s view of God and religion (without the religious oppression by the Pilgrims, of course.) Furthermore, he believes in the U.S. Constitution-the original and/or amended versions of it. He is against the taking away of personal freedoms.
According to the 1996 Ron Paul Political Awareness Test Ron Paul also shares the following views:
He does not support government-run affirmative action programs. He also believes in the decreasing of government funding for AIDS programs, Student loan funding, and Medicaid Funding.
He does, however, approve of certain initiative-type programs such as giving tax credit to companies who want to hire and train homeless people.
He also believed in the increase of tax deductions to local charities, and he supports the implementation of “enterprise zones” for high-unemployment communities. Furthermore, he proposed the elimination of taxes (as of 1996) for retirees of an income over $40,000.
He also proposed tax elimination for families who make less than $25,000.00 a year. He has spoken out against the current Economic Stimulus Package, however, and has come up with his own four-pronged plan of attack against economic hardship.
This would include the elimination of taxes that penalize savings and investments, the reduction of overseas commitments, and to improve the value of the U.S. Dollar.
He also did support the use of block grants, however, for items such as school lunches, welfare, and so on. He also believed in reducing prison sentences for those who committed non-violent crimes, and he believes in having alternative “boot camp.”
Voting Record Overview:
Abortion
On 13/13/2003 Ron Paul voted for a bill that would prohibit the use of a partial abortion. More recently, he does not have a record of voting for an abortion pain bill, which actually failed in the house as of 2006. (He was most likely absent on the day of the vote). Back in 1997, Ron Paul voted yes to a bill that would ban partial birth abortions altogether.
Civil Rights
Ron Paul Voted against the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007. If this law had been passed, D.C. would have been granted a voting representative, and D.C. would have been made in to a voting district.
Ron Paul Did not vote on the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. This would have increased governmental intelligence on a global level.
Christianity/Religion
He has not been recorded as voting on the “Recognition of the Importance of Christmas and Christianity” in 2008. This bill was meant to emphasize the importance of this religion and to spread it around the world.
He had, however, made a speech entitled “Keeping the World Safe for Christianity.” Furthermore, in 2006 he voted yes to the Public Expression of Religion Act of 2006 bill. It had passed in the House.
Taxes and Budget
Ron Paul Voted no to the Economic Stimulus Package. Ron Paul had expressed his concerns about this legislation on 1/27/2008. (View source). Ron Paul believes that the Economic Stimulus Package deals only with the symptoms of our country’s economic problem and not the source of it.
Background Information about Ron Paul:
He has a wife named Carol Wells and he has five children. His mother’s name is Margaret and his father’s name is Howard Paul. Ron Paul’s first job was as a bottle washer, and his father’s occupation was as a dairy operator.
Ron Paul considers Ludwig von Mises as his personal hero. In fact, Paul started the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Barack Obama (Democrat)
Barack Obama
Current Offices Contending For: Democratic U.S. President,
Political Biography:
Barack Obama currently serves as a U.S. Senator. He has held this position since 2005. He also was a Senator in Illinois from 1996 to 2004.
Obama belongs to several different organizations. Some of which include the following: Trinity United Church of Christ and the Center for Neighborhood of which he is a member, the Joyce Foundation of which he is a Board Member.
He also serves on educational committees, such as the Woods Funds of Chicago and Leadership for Quality Education.
Barack Obama’s View on Select Issues:
He has taken the 1998 National Political Awareness Test provided by Vote Smart.com. According to that test, he has provided his answers to questions related to various political issues.
Regarding abortion, he has not stated specifically what his stand on it was. He did not check on the Political Awareness test that he was against abortion.
Nor did he say he was for it in certain situations. He had mentioned he was undecided regarding the issue of public funding being granted to clinics.
He has stated that he supports affirmative action at the college level as well as on the job and in state contracting. He also supports this action in various other areas unspecified.
As far as crime is concerned, he would like to see alternative penalties besides incarceration (put in jail or prison) for people who commit non-violent crimes. He also believes in inmate rehab and education, and supports public funding for this purpose. He also supports a “boot camp” type sentencing for first-time juvenile felons.
In addition, he supports low-interest loans for persons starting businesses. He also supports low-interest loans for expansion and relocation. Likewise, he supports job training programs.
Along with job training, Obama supports the increase of funding for the professional development of public school teachers and administrators. He also favors charter schools that can receive state authorization and funding to start new schools.
In the area of energy use he supports the burning of cleaner fuels. He also (while serving in Illinois) supports funding for state recycling programs. He also supports “right-to-know” environmental laws. More specifically, when he was still in office in Illinois he supported improvement of the Illinois River.
For health, he supported as of 1998 the Patient’s Bill of Rights. He thought as of this time that patients had the right to choose there medical care and that they should receive the health care that they need.
In addition, Barack Obama supports teen pregnancy prevention education. He also supports Head Start funding increase. He also has in the past supported the movement to add sexual orientation to the federal anti-discrimination laws.
He believes as of 1998 that K-12 education, health care, and welfare spending should increase. He believed that funding for college education should stay the same. Obama was satisfied with spending in other areas such as highway-building, law enforcement, and agriculture.
Voting Records:
Abortion
In 2007, Barack Obama did not place a vote on issues regarding the funding of abortion or on funding for coercive abortions. He does, however, support the Unintended Pregnancy Amendment.
This is a piece of legislation that if passed would reduce the number of abortions. This is also legislation that would increase funds to family planning services-for service that does not necessarily include abortion.
Economics and Taxes
Obama did not provide a response to bills such as the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, or the Economic Stimulus Package, or the Defense Authorizations Bill.
He did, however, speak out about poverty. (view source) He also made a declaration to end the Iraqi war. He wanted to see the cost of education reduced so more low income people would be able to climb the ladder of success. He also supports increase in provision of transportation to jobs.
He did, however, vote no for a Tax Reconciliation Bill in 2006. He also voted for the Environmental Natural Resources and Funding Amendment in 2006.
Family Issues
He voted no to the Child Custody Protection Act in 2006. He voted for CHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) Re-authorization in 2007, though. He did not vote for several bills, including the Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill.
Education
Barack Obama voted for an increase in Pell Grants for those pursuing a college education. He also voted for additional funding for persons with disabilities.
Immigration
He voted for allowing permanent resident of certain undocumented immigrants. This bill would cover those who enter the U.S. as children, long-term residents and so on.
Personal Biographical Information
Barack Obama has a wife named Michelle and two children named Malia and Sasha. He was born in Hawaii and now lives in Illinois. One of his favorite books is The Autobiography of Malcolm X. He also enjoys The Song of Solomon by Toni.
He wrote publications such as the following: It Takes a Nation: How Strangers Became Family in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina" (2006) and "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" (2006).
He also wrote Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" (1995). His father is no longer living today. His mother is also deceased.
Awards Won by Barack Obama
He has won many awards over the past several years. For instance, he received the Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Award in 2006. He also received a Chairman’s Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He was also recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential People of the World by Time Magazine.
Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democrat)
Current Offices Contending For: Democratic U.S. President,
Political Biography:
Hillary Clinton was the first lady to President Bill Clinton from 1992 to the year 2000. She was also the first lady to Clinton in Arkansas from 1978 to 1980 and again from 1982 to 1992. She currently serves as a U.S. Senator in the Junior Seat.
She has been involved in quite a few organizations over the years. Some of these include Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families of which she is the Co-Founder. She also is a board member of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and (interestingly enough to many people) is a board member of Wal-Mart.
She also is a member of several caucuses such as the Chair, Arkansas Educational Standards Committee and the Democratic Policy Committee. In addition, she is a member of the Environmental and Public Works committee and the Armes Services committee as well as others.
Hillary Clinton’s View on Select Issues:
She believes in the woman’s right to have an abortion. However, she also believes that abortions should happen very rarely. (view source). She also advocates women’s reproductive health and is for programs to prevent unintended pregnancy.
She also has expressed in one of her public statements that people should be allowed to have affordable, accessible health care. She wants to push for health care for all Americans, and she also wishes for veterans to receive the best of care. (view source)
In addition, Hillary Clinton would like to see the middle class of American strengthened. She has mentioned that Americans are working a lot harder for a lot less money. (view source)
Moreover, she wants to see the War in Iraq end. Along with that, she has supported the Iraq Troop Protection and Reduction Act of 2007. She also supports energy independence, meaning that she believes in America releasing its tight grip and dependence on foreign resources such as oil.
Furthermore, Mrs. Clinton would like to see a restoration of American’s reputation as viewed by the rest of the world. She says she wants America’s respect restored.
She also supports the return of the government back to a system of checks and balances. Moreover, she wants to see government updated to meet the needs of the 21st century.
Voting Record Overview:
Abortion
Hillary Clinton did not vote on the 2007 bill which would prohibit funding to groups that perform abortions. She also did not vote on the 2007 bill which would have prohibited coercive abortions, but she did vote yes on the Unintended Pregnancy Amendment.
She strongly believes women have the right to decide if they are going to have an abortion. However, she believes it should be rare. (view source)
Civil Rights
Hillary Clinton Voted for the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007. If this law had been passed, D.C. would have been granted a voting representative, and D.C. would have been made in to a voting district.
Mrs. Clinton has no record of voting on the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 during the 2/13/208 session. This bill would have increased governmental intelligence on a global level. She has, however, voted yes to the English as a Common Language Amendment.
Family
In 2006, Hillary Clinton voted no to the child custody protection act. In that same year, she also voted no to the Federal Marriage Amendment which stressed the point that marriage is between one man and one woman.
She did vote yes to the Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment of 2006. In addition, she also voted for an enhancement of the Amber Alert Bill in 2003.
Taxes and Budget
Hillary Clinton did not provide a vote regarding the Economic Stimulus Package Bill on 2/7/2007. She has made a statement, however, that she wants to see the middle class of America strengthened. (view source)
Furthermore, as of 1/24/2007 Clinton has stated that she will advocate a larger tax rebate for working families. She wants to see lower-income Americans receive a greater amount of tax refund. (view source)
She was also happy to see the stimulus package go forward.
Background Information about Hillary Clinton:
Hillary Clinton’s husband is the former U.S. President William (Bill) Clinton. She also has one child named Chelsea. She was born in Chicago, Illinois and now lives in New York.
Awards Won:
Mrs. Clinton has won many awards over the years including the following:
The -Humanitarian Award given by the Elie Wiesel Foundation, Women Who Make A Difference Lifetime Achievement Award from Family Circle, and the President's Award, which she received from the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Maurice Robert (Mike) Gravel
Current Offices Contending For: Democratic U.S. President,
Political Biography:
Maurice (Mike) Gravel is currently a candidate for U.S. President. In addition, he served in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1981. He was also a candidate for the House of Representatives in 1969, and served as a House member for Arkansas in 1963 to 1966.
He is the founder and president of The Democracy Foundation, Direct Democracy, and Philadelphia II. In addition, he has had professional experience in the U.S. army from 1951 to 1954 and also served in the U.S. Army on Wall Street.
In addition, Mr. Gravel has had writing and lecturing experience, and served on the Alaskan Railroad. He also took on a cab driving job in his lifetime. He was educated at Columbia University with a degree in economics.
Mike Gravel’s View on Select Issues:
He has taken the 2008 Political Courage Test provided by Vote Smart.com. According to that test, he has provided his answers to questions related to various political issues.
For instance, he indicated that abortions should always be legal. He also thinks that spending in the areas such as of public health, environment, and education should be greatly increased.
Gravel believes that Homeland Security spending should decrease. He is satisfied with the level of spending in other areas, such as United Nations funding, as well scientific research spending, and space exploration funding.
He also does not recommend increase spending in intelligence (spy) operations. In addition, he believes in decreasing greatly the spending of national defense. In addition, he thinks that the budget on development and research of new weapons should decrease.
On the other hand, he does support citizens’ rights to bear arms with a license. (Gravel believes in educated use of.
Furthermore, he supports job training programs for those who want to better them selves. In addition, he advocates for a federal minimum wage increase and workers’ right to unionize.
In addition, Mike Gravel believes that taxes should be eliminated for those who make $12,000 or less. In addition, he believes that alcohol, cigarette, and similar excise taxes should remain the same.
He supports a universal health care program for all Americans. Mike Gravel also supports the importation of prescription drugs into the country.
As far as immigration is concerned, Mr. Gravel expressed that he supports temporary work programs for them. He is not for the decrease of number of immigrants coming to America.
He supports amnesty for immigrants already living in the United States. However, he believes they should be given a way to be a citizen of the country. Furthermore, he believes in international aid outside of the country when necessary (in extreme cases).
Mike Gravel also supports personal rights, such as same-sex couples’ right to marry. He does not support the definition of the One-Man, One-Woman Marriage Amendment.
He also believes that homosexuality should be included in federal anti-discrimination laws. For instance, he wants to see gays not be discriminated against in the workplace. He does not, however, support affirmative action in college admissions.
Voting Records:
Mike Gravel has not served in politics for quite some time so he does not have any current voting records. Very little information about this record has been publicized.
However, word is out that Mike Gravel was instrumental in the release of The Pentagon Papers. This documented Vietnam War failures. Also, he is documented as being strongly pro-choice, so chances are he has voted pro-choice on any bill or almost every bill related to abortion.
Personal Biographical Information
Mike Gravel has a wife names Whitney. He also has two children called Martin and Lynne. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Besides the Pentagon Papers, Mike Gravel has written other documents including Jobs and More Jobs in 1968 and Citizen Power, a People’s Platform.